Minor League Update

Second Round Selections

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Victor Caratini, C, Braves (Short-Season Danville): .307/.409/.445 with 14 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 21 R, and 18 RBI in 137 at-bats.Caratini offers a feel for hitting with developing power. He improved his draft stock by leaving the impression that he would be able catch after transitioning from third base.

Kevin Franklin, 3B, Reds (AZL Reds): .221/.294/.319 with 8 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 10 R, and 16 RBI in 113 at-bats.Franklin’s carrying tool is his power which grades out as easy plus. The issue was most scouts were not sold on the fact that he will make enough contact to tap into his power. Defensively, Franklin has plus arm strength, but is not the cleanest defender. Franklin has the power to be a difference maker, but the profile has a high fail rate.

Ryder Jones, 3B, Giants (AZL Giants): .352/.434/.462 with 7 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 22 R, and 15 RBI in 91 at-bats.Jones has solid-average raw power, but scouts feel his lack of bat speed will be exploited by quality pitching. In the field, Jones has a plus arm, but lacks major mobility. The hot start in the complex league is a good sign, but the breakdown of the tools makes me think it could be a mirage.

Gosuke Katoh, 2B, Yankees (GCL Yankees): .319/.427/.563 with 7 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 18 R, and 19 RBI in 119 at-bats.Katoh has excellent bat-to-ball ability and developing power. Scouts that I have spoken with believe Katoh’s power may reach somewhere just shy of average, but he is a plus runner. The issue with Katoh is that he is limited to second base because of a below-average throwing arm. The second-base profile will put immense pressure on the bat, but Katoh has impressed in his professional debut.

Andrew Knapp, C, Phillies (Short-Season Williamsport): .254/.327/.403 with 11 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 19 R, and 17 RBI in 134 at-bats.Knapp, a switch hitter, has the potential to have an average hit tool with average power. Knapp is still raw behind the plate, but scouts believe his solid-average arm and strong makeup give him a chance to stay at catcher.

Ryan McMahon, 3B, Rockies (Short-Season Grand Junction): .302/.399/.524 with 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 24 R, and 25 RBI in 126 at-bats.McMahon has the potential to have a solid-average hit tool with solid-average power. He is a fringy runner and developing defender. The offensive skill set gives him hope to stay on the prospect radar.

Oscar Mercado, Cardinals (GCL Cardinals): .200/.288/.300 with 3 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 11 R, and 3 RBI in 90 at-bats.Scouts had questions about Mercado’s bat this spring, and some believe he will never hit enough to make it to the big leagues. Defensively, Mercado has clean actions and a strong arm. Mercado will stay at short, which will always keep him on the radar, but his bat will need to take steps in the right direction if he wants to climb onto prospect lists.

Dustin Peterson, SS, Padres (AZL Padres): .308/.341/.367 with 7 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 16 R, and 14 RBI in 120 at-bats.Some scouts believed more in Dustin Peterson than his brother D.J. This Peterson has the chance to have a solid-average hit tool with plus power, and the chance to stay at third base. Defensively, Peterson will have to make improvements, but scouts are hopeful that he can stay on the dirt.

Chance Sisco, C, Orioles (GCL Orioles): .393/.493/.446 with 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 9 R, and 8 RBI in 56 at-bats.Sisco has a contact-oriented swing with gap power. Scouts that like Sisco believe that he has the potential to develop more over-the-fence power during his career. Defensively, Sisco has a strong arm and shows natural catching ability.

Riley Unroe, SS, Rays (GCL Rays): .236/.359/.318 with 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 23 R, and 9 RBI in 110 at-bats.Unroe, a natural switch hitter, shows bat speed from both sides of the plate. Scouts believe that he has power potential even if his small frame would not suggest it. Defensively, Unroe is a natural defender and should be able to stay at short.

Justin Williams, LF, Diamondbacks (AZL Diamondbacks): .341/.384/.434 with 9 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 14 R, and 29 RBI in 129 at-bats.Williams offers premium raw power, but scouts question how much of this power will be usable against quality pitching. Williams is not going to offer much defensive value; he may be able to handle left field, but most likely ends up at first base.

Austin Wilson, RF, Mariners (Short-Season Everett): .206/.287/.298 with 8 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 R, and 11 RBI in 141 at-bats.Wilson has the tools to make any scout’s jaw drop: solid-average runner, plus raw power, and plus arm. However, the swing currently needs a lot of work and he is very strikeout-prone. The Mariners took a shot on him after he fell all the way into the second round because of his upside, and he may need some time to develop before he is able to show off his tools.

Pitchers

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Rangers (AZL Rangers): 25.1 IP, 29 H, 12 ER, 9 BB, and 18 K in 10 appearances.Bostick has a fastball that works in the low 90s and can touch more when necessary, feel for a breaking ball, and a developing changeup.

Andrew Church, RHP, Mets (GCL Mets): 17.0 IP, 20 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, and 10 K in six appearances.Church has a fastball that works in the low 90s and has touched 95, a potential plus curveball, a developing slider, and a potential get-me-over changeup. Church has made improvements to his delivery and improvements to his velocity may be on the way.

Tyler Danish, RHP, White Sox (Short-Season Bristol): 20.0 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 17 K in 10 appearances.Danish offers a low 90s fastball with heavy sink, a hard slider with plus potential, and a developing changeup. The White Sox will have to control Danish’s delivery because at points he rushes it and can lose command.

Ryan Eades, RHP, Twins (Short-Season Elizabethton): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K in 5 appearances.Eades has a fastball that works in the low-to-mid 90s, a sharp curveball with solid-average potential, and a changeup with average potential. Scouts have said that Eades may need to work to repeat his delivery more effectively going forward.

Hunter Green, LHP, Angels (AZL Angels): 9.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 9 BB, 7 K in five appearances.Green’s arsenal includes a mid-90s fastball with life, a solid-average potential curveball, and a solid-average potential changeup. The major flaw is that Green will need to work on his arm action in order to more effectively repeat his delivery and have better command.

Clinton Hollon, RHP, Blue Jays (GCL Blue Jays): 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K in three appearances.Hollon has a fastball that works in the low-to-mid 90s, a potential plus slider, and a developing changeup. The delivery has some effort to it, and Hollon already has injury red flags. The Blue Jays will need to work to keep him healthy.

Jake Johansen, RHP, Nationals (Short-Season Auburn): 32.1 IP, 19 H, 4 ER, 15 BB, 30 K in eight starts.Johansen boasts an upper-90s fastball and a potential average slider. The Nationals will work him as a starter as he progresses through the minors, but scouts believe that his ultimate future is in the bullpen.

Dillon Overton, LHP, Athletics (Not assigned INJ)Overton underwent Tommy John surgery soon after signing with the Athletics. When healthy, Overton offers a low-90s fastball that is very lively, a potential plus slider, and a potential solid-average changeup.

Cody Reed, LHP, Royals (Short-Season Idaho Falls): 18.1 IP, 18 H, 10 ER, 17 BB, 13 K in six starts.Reed offers a fastball that works in the mid 90s, and a two-pitch secondary arsenal, slider and changeup, which is far from being a finished product. The mechanics need a lot of work, and the Royals believe he has the chance to be an impact arm after these changes are made.

Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP, Red Sox (Short-Season Lowell): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in four starts.Stankiewicz has a fastball that can touch 96, a potential plus slider, a fringy curveball, and a developing changeup. Scouts believe that his mechanics allow hitters to pick up the ball early, and changes need to be made to enhance his deception.

Blake Taylor, LHP, Pirates (GCL Pirates): 13.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K in five starts.Taylor currently offers a low-90s fastball, a potential plus curveball, and feel for a changeup. Scouts feel that Taylor has the frame and arm action that may allow his stuff to improve a good amount.

Andrew Thurman, RHP, Astros (Short-Season Tri-City): 27.1 IP, 33 H, 15 ER, 7 BB, 32 K in nine appearances.Thurman offers a low-90s fastball with plus command, a solid-average changeup, and not much of a breaking ball. Thurman throws both a slider and a curveball, and the Astros will most likely make him focus on one of the offerings and improve it going forward.

Devin Williams, RHP, Brewers (AZL Brewers): 24.2 IP, 20 H, 10 ER, 15 BB, 24 K in nine appearances.Williams offers an athletic delivery paired with a low-to-mid 90s fastball with life, a developing slider, and a potential plus changeup. Our own Jason Cole has seen Williams and believes his prospect stock could be on the rise.

Trevor Williams, RHP, Marlins (Short-Season Batavia): 22.0 IP, 23 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, 16 K in eight starts.Williams throws both versions of the fastball, two- and four-seam, a developing breaking ball, and a solid-average changeup. He needs to work on his mechanics in order to effectively get to the breaking ball.

Tom Windle, LHP, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 31.2 IP, 26 H, 7 ER, 12 BB, 30 K in eight appearances.Windle is a large-framed lefty from Minnesota with a fastball that works in the low 90s with life and plane. The secondary offerings are a slider with solid-average potential and a developing changeup. The Dodgers have already tinkered with Windle’s mechanics in order to make him more effective.

Rob Zastryzny, LHP, Cubs (Low-A Kane County): 14.1 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 16 K in eight appearances.Zastrynzy is a crafty lefty that can vary his fastball velocity effectively. He is able to dip into the 80s or pump it up into the mid 90s. He offers a changeup with solid-average potential, and still is working on developing a quality breaking ball.

Kevin Ziomek, LHP, Tigers (Short-Season Connecticut): 8.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K in four appearances.Ziomek has shown premium stuff in the past with a fastball that has sat in the mid 90s, a potential plus changeup, and a solid-average slider. However, in 2013, his stuff has been depressed and everything has slipped a grade. Going forward, the Tigers will look to refine Ziomek and restore his premium stuff.

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I hope everyone enjoyed the draft coverage. I figured the three days were worthwhile to give it its due diligence.

Zach Mortimer is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Click here to see Zach's other articles.
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Zach, has Trevor Story turned a corner? He really raised concerns with his early performance. Last 10 games he's hitting .318 with an .824 OPS. On the season he's still showing the power/speed combo that was appealing to many from a shortstop. But is this small sample size, or is his swing/approach any better? Appreciate any insights.